Major Wall-of-Fame congratulations to online magazine, Grist, and to Grist Research Associate Umbra Fisk, for this very refreshing treatment of the subject of contraception:
By most measures the U.S. economy is quite healthy. We seem to have recovered quite nicely from the Great Recession which began in 2008. Unemployment down, the longest period of sustained job growth on record, stock market up. GDP in positive growth territory. Yet in this presidential election year, GOP candidates are promising to fix the “terrible” economy over which current U.S. President (D) Barack Obama presides. Even Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is promising to right problems with this economy. “…something is profoundly wrong,” he has stated.
Economic growth is, of course, our modern culture’s Holy Grail. We’re not willing to sacrifice economic growth for any reason, not even the salvation of human civilization. We insist, therefore, that any plan to reduce carbon emissions cannot take a chunk out of GDP growth.
Today’s nominee to the Wall of Fame doesn’t necessarily call that obsession with economic growth out for its suicidal tendencies, but it does do a great job of busting one of the myths about economic growth that some of its apologists love to promote.
Then answer is, “not often enough!” So Madeline Ostrander’s commentary published in this week’s edition of The Nation earns a spot on our Wall of Fame for being bold enough to explore what ought to be an obvious and common question.
I’m delighted to relaunch Growth Bias Busted with a nod to exemplary thought and writing about the important role of population reduction in decreasing carbon emissions. Alisha Graves offers real gems in Family Planning: The Quick Carbon Payoff.
This piece in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is part of a series of commentaries debating the link between emissions and population. You might find the entire series of interest.
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Wall Of Shame
Reporting & commentary that assume eternal growth is feasible, good, and necessary for prosperity.
Wall Of Fame
Reporting & commentary that recognize growth has limits, costs, and consequences.
User Nominated
Examples of classic pro-growth bias or exceptional acknowledgement of limits to growth, submitted by our readers!.
Top Voted
Every Friday we honor the week’s top-voted story, from the Wall of Shame, Wall of Fame, or User Nominations.